Engine



July 14, 1925. 1,545,515

A. L. POW ELL ENGINE Filed Dec. 10. 1919 WITNESS: INVENTOR.

, L; Powell I 35 5 A TTORNE Y.

till tilt Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES 4 1,545,516 PATENT .OFFICE.

ALVAH L. POWELL, O1 BOUND'U'P, MONTANA, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE A. L. POWELL POWER COMPANY INCORIfORATEID, A CORPORATION OF MONTANA.

ENGINE.

Application filed December 10, 1919. Serial No. 348,951.

To all whom it may comm:

Be it known that I, ALvAH L. POWELL, a

citizen of the United States, residing at.

Roundup, county of Musselshell, State of Montana, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Engines, of WlllCll the following is a full, clear, and exact, description, such aswill enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference bein had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this speclfication.

This invention pertains to certain new and useful improvements in power plants and deals particularly with the type known as internal combustion engines, although not limited thereto. In the present case the basic feature is the change in the ratio between the piston movement and crank shaft movement to which reference is made in my co-pending applications Serial No. 107,308 filed July 3, 1916 (Fi s. 6, 8, 9 and 12), Serial No. 103,166 fi ed Jan. 12, 1916 (Figs. 27, 29, 30 and 32), Serial No. 142,664 filed Jan. 16, 1917, in Figs. 1 and 3 of my application Serial No.-118,356 filed Sept. 5', 1916, Serial No. 273,100 filed Jan. 25, 1919, and my patented case No. 1,217,823.

The main object of the present invention resides in the peculiar manner in which the ultimate power stroke that is delivered to the crank shaft of the engine is effected in a more efficient manner than in the present t pe of engines wherein the connection is t rough the medium of a directly connected .pitman rod. It is the purpose of the present invention to provide a piston rod and a member connected to the crank shaft, and interpose therebetween a peculiar gearing whereby one member is moved at a different speed than the other.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a connection between the piston and the crank shaft, whereby all side strain or angular motions of the piston is avoided.

Another object of the present invention resides in the novel manner of the utilizing the full explosive force of working stroke of the piston upon a minimum amount of charge which will ultimately result in a vast saving in fuel consumption.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less broad, than those stated above, together with the inherent advantage thereof, will be in part obvious and in part spe cifically referred to in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and application of principles, constituting the invention, and the scope of protection contemplated will appear from the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, which are to be taken as part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely the preferred embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is an end elevation artly in section employing the principle of my invention and showing the engine at the beginning of the intake stroke; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view of the upper portion of, the engine showing the same at the end of the intake stroke; Fig. 3 is a similar view to that of Fig. 2 but showing the piston at the limit of its down stroke and Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic View of the four strokes through which each piston passes.

The type of engine particularly adapted for the installation of my invention is a four stroke internal combustion engine in which the strokes are as follows :intake, compression, expansion and exhaust.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, wherein similar letters of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, (1) indicates the engine base, preferably of shell formation to house or enclose the lower portion of the engine mechanism such as the crank shaft, cam shafts, etc.

In t'hedrawings I have shown the base of substantially pyramidal formation but I wish it understood that this base can be made 7 any shape to meet'the desired requirements. Integrally cast or bolted to the base (1), in

any suitable manner, is a cylinder (2) pro-i vided with the usual water jacket (3), inlet passage (4), inlet valve (5), outlet passage (6), outlet valve (7) and a spark plug (8). The inlet and outlet valves are provided with spring actuated rods (9) and (10) respectively, the lower ends of which are slidably journaled in bearings (11) secured to the upper portion of base (1). The ends of each rod (9) and (10) carry a roller (12) for co-action with inlet cam (13) and outlet cam (14:) respectively. These cams are suitably mounted on shafts (15) and (16) journaled in the end walls of the base (1) and are driven in any desirable manner so long as they are turned in timed relation to enable the engine to properly function.

Within the cylinder (2) is a reciprocatory piston (17) having attached thereto a piston rod (18) the lower portion of which is provided with a transverse arm (19). This arm (19) has two openings (20) and (21) therein for the purpose hereinafter described. These openings may be of any suitable form so long as they are of an elongated characteristic and for the purpose of illustration I have shown them ellipsoidal.

Longitudinally journaled within the base 1 is a crank shaft 22. The diameter of the crank circle described by the crank pin carried by the crank shaft 22 is considerably less than the stroke of the piston 17. Of course, the ratio of the movement of the piston 17 as compared with the diameter of the said crank circle Woulddepend upon the relative proportion of the transmittlng parts. In the construction herein shown, the arm 29 is twice the length of the pitch radius of the geared roller 27 or 28. In such a construction if the diameter of the crank circle is four inches, the piston would move approximately six inches, so that when such a construction is employed the piston moves a much-longer distance than is the diameter of the crank circle. The crank portion of the shaft (22) is slidably received within a compound curved slot (23) arranged adjacent the lower end of the vertically slidable plate (24). The function of the slot 23 is to prevent the engine being on dead center at any time, during the firing stroke. If it is at a dead center at any other time such as on the intake, compression or exhaust strokes, there will be no disadvantageous results, but there would be a serious disadvantage to have the engine on dead center during the firing stroke. The slot 23 effectively prevents any disadvantage which might result from dead centers. Plate 24 is maintaned in its vertical path of travel by guides (25-25) rigidly secured to and extending upwardly from the lower portion of base (1). The side portions of the plate or member (24 are provided with rack teeth (2626) wit which segmentally geared rollers (27) and (28) are adapted to mesh. These rollers are journaled within brackets which are rigidly secured to the side walls of the base (1). Secured in any suitable manner to each roller shaft is an arm (29-29) the free end of which is provided with a pin (30-30) adapted to be received within the ellipsoidal openings (20) and (21). The function of these openings is to facilitate the reciprocal action of pins 30 transversely of arm 19.

As above suggested, this type of engine 7 is adapted to operate upon a minimum amount of charge, because, the inlet valve is only opened during a partial down stroke of the piston and for the additional reason cylinder, a reciprocating that the gas is more completely burned on account of the long piston stroke. For a better illustration of the idea we will assume that the stroke of piston in the present case is 6" and it is my intention to allow the intake stroke to have travelled only 4 at which period the intakevalve should be closed; This charge will be compressed during the upstroke of the piston and owing to the lean character of the fuel mixture or charge the actual compression of the charge will not take place until the piston has retravelled to the point in its upstroke to where the intake charge was cut off during the downstroke of the piston. It will therefore be seen that the effective intake and compression strokes of the piston are equal to the crank throw only, but in all other movements of the piston, to wit :-on the explosion and scavenging strokes, the stroke will be -full length. In modifications of this engine it may be desirable to have all of the strokes of-equal length. In other words, the intake and compression strokes may equal the explosion and scavenger strokes. Dealing with the question of upward stroke on exhaust, it will be noticed that the cam for controlling this action is slightly wider than that controlling the intake valve and by this construction it will be understood that the exhaust valve is intended to be fully maintained in its open position during the entire exhaust stroke of the engine, while the intake valve is in tended to be maintained in its open position during a portion of the intake stroke of the engine.

The crank member and the piston rod provides means, for ultimately delivering a powerful stroke to the crank shaft and the movement of the compound slot in which the crank pin of the engine is adapted to op erate, enables me to provide a structure wherein there is no dead center on the power stroke of the engine. It will be noticed from the-showing in Fig. 1 that the position of the crank portion of the shaft within this slot, even at its highest point is against the upwardly sloping periphery of the compound slot.

While I have described above the preferred embodiment of the present invention, I wish it understood that certain variations therefrom may be resorted to without sacrificing any of the spirit of the invention and the slope of protection contemplated will ap ear from the claims. at I desire to secure by Letters 1s Patent 1. In an engine of the class described, a

iston therein, a rod member attached to sa1d iston, a crank shaft, a reciprocating crank s aft 0 member, and gearing interposed etween rating said members for providing different speeds of movement thereof.

2. In an engine of the class described, a cylinder, a reciprocating piston therein, a rod member attached to said "piston, a crank shaft, a reciprocating crank shaft operating member, and means inter d between said members for providin ifl'erent speeds of movement thereof, sai meahs havin a pin and slot connection with one of sai members and a gearing connection with the other of said members.

3. In an engine of the class described, a

cylinder, a reciprocating piston therein,- a.-

1 rod member attached to said piston, acrank shaft, a reciprocating crank shaft operatin member, an means interposed between sai members for provid' different speeds of movement thereof, sai means havin a pin and slot connection with one of sai members and a rack and pinion connection with the other of said members.

4. In an engine of the class described, a

cylinder, a reciprocating. piston therein, a rod member attached to said piston, acrank shaft, a crank shaft operating member, and means interposed between said members for providing relatively different speeds of movement thereof, said means aving a sliding connection with said rod member an and a geared connection with said operating member.

5. In an engine of the class described, a cylinder, a reciprocating iston therein, a rod member attached to said piston, acrank shaft, a reciprocating crank shaft operatin member, and means interposed between sai members for providin different speeds of movement thereof, sai means having a pin and slot connection with said rod member and a gearing connection with said operating member. I

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature this 10th day of December, 1919.

ALVAH L. POWELL. 

